# NoMethodError when trying to validate model field **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [28 January 2008 23:40 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/nomethoderror-when-trying-to-validate-model-field/44098 "2008-01-28T23:40:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![laredotornado1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@laredotornado1](https://rubytalk.org/u/laredotornado1)\ **Post date:** [28 January 2008 23:40 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/nomethoderror-when-trying-to-validate-model-field/44098/1 "2008-01-28T23:40:00Z")
Hi, When validating a field in my user model, I wrote a method "is\_client?" to help with the validation. But I did it wrong because now I'm getting this error: NoMethodError in SessionController#create undefined method `is\_client?' for User:Class RAILS\_ROOT: ./script/../config/.. Application Trace | Framework Trace | Full Trace /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ active\_record/base.rb:1238:in `method\_missing' /usr/local/apache2/htdocs/easyrx/app/models/user.rb:16 /usr/local/apache2/htdocs/easyrx/app/controllers/session\_controller.rb: 12:in `create' Here's the relevant code. Any ideas what I can do to get rid of this error? Thanks, - Dave class User \< ActiveRecord::Base   ...   validates\_as\_phone :work\_phone, :if =\> !:work\_phone.blank? && is\_client?, :message =\> "is not a valid phone number" # line 16 attr\_accessible :user\_type\_id, :user\_group\_id, :pharmacy\_id, :phone, :work\_phone, :work\_phone\_extension, :fax, :bill\_to\_first\_name, :bill\_to\_last\_name, :bill\_to\_street, :bill\_to\_city, :bill\_to\_state, :bill\_to\_zip, :bill\_to\_country, :ship\_to\_first\_name, :ship\_to\_last\_name, :ship\_to\_street, :ship\_to\_city, :ship\_to\_state, :ship\_to\_zip, :ship\_to\_country, :bill\_to\_attn, :ship\_to\_attn, :bill\_to\_company, :ship\_to\_company, :bill\_to\_street2, :ship\_to\_street2, :login, :email, :password, :password\_confirmation ...     def is\_client?       user\_type\_id == 2     end end ---
**Author:** ![Wyatt\_Greene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/82dd89/32.png) [@Wyatt\_Greene](https://rubytalk.org/u/Wyatt_Greene)\ **Post date:** [29 January 2008 21:14 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/nomethoderror-when-trying-to-validate-model-field/44098/2 "2008-01-29T21:14:56Z")
I can explain why you're getting this error. validates\_as\_phone is a method. All methods in Ruby have a receiver object. Because validates\_as\_phone is called outside of a defined method, it's receiver object is the User class itself, \*not\* an object of type User. The arguments that you pass to the validates\_as\_phone method include a call to the is\_client? method. Since the receiver object is the User class, it looks for a method called is\_client? defined for the User class, which would look like this:   def User.is\_client?     user\_type\_id == 2   end or another way to say the same thing is:   def self.is\_client?     user\_type\_id == 2   end Instead, it finds a method defined for User objects:   def is\_client?     user\_type\_id == 2   end Unfortunately, you can't just stick a self. onto your is\_client? method because user\_type\_id is a method that belongs to User objects, not the User class itself. > **ยทยทยท** > > On Jan 28, 6:37 pm, laredotornado \ wrote: > > > Hi, When validating a field in my user model, I wrote a method > > "is\_client?" to help with the validation. But I did it wrong because > > now I'm getting this error: > > > > NoMethodError in SessionController#create > > undefined method `is\_client?' for User:Class > > RAILS\_ROOT: ./script/../config/.. > > Application Trace | Framework Trace | Full Trace > > /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.5/lib/ > > active\_record/base.rb:1238:in `method\_missing' > > /usr/local/apache2/htdocs/easyrx/app/models/user.rb:16 > > /usr/local/apache2/htdocs/easyrx/app/controllers/session\_controller.rb: > > 12:in `create' > > > > Here's the relevant code. Any ideas what I can do to get rid of this > > error? Thanks, - Dave > > > > class User \< ActiveRecord::Base > >   ... > >   validates\_as\_phone :work\_phone, :if =\> !:work\_phone.blank? && > > is\_client?, :message =\> "is not a valid phone number" # line > > 16 > > > > attr\_accessible :user\_type\_id, :user\_group\_id, :pharmacy\_id, :phone, :work\_phone, :work\_phone\_extension, :fax, :bill\_to\_first\_name, :bill\_to\_last\_name, :bill\_to\_street, :bill\_to\_city, :bill\_to\_state, :bill\_to\_zip, :bill\_to\_country, :ship\_to\_first\_name, :ship\_to\_last\_name, :ship\_to\_street, :ship\_to\_city, :ship\_to\_state, :ship\_to\_zip, :ship\_to\_country, :bill\_to\_attn, :ship\_to\_attn, :bill\_to\_company, :ship\_to\_company, :bill\_to\_street2, :ship\_to\_street2, :login, :email, :password, :password\_confirmation > > > > ... > >     def is\_client? > >       user\_type\_id == 2 > >     end > > > > end